ABOUT US 2: Surprise, Surprise 4/14
Author: LeE
e-mail: lee_81881@yahoo.com
Classification: Romance H/M
Disclaimers: JAG doesn't belong to me. It belongs to DPB and CBS. I'm just having some fun while procrastinating on homework...
*From Part 3*
So many things didn't make sense. "It's not fair" she whispered as tears welled up once again, and she tried to chase away the images of a life without Harm. They had been through so much. So many close calls. He had to make it out of there. He just had to.
"Ma'am" Tiner spoke as he knocked on her door.
"Yes, Tiner" Mac answered, dabbing away some tears that had escaped her eyes.
"The Admiral wishes to see you ASAP, Ma'am" he said.
"Thank you, Tiner. I'll be right there"
"Aye, aye Ma'am"
*Part 4*
ADMIRAL'S OFFICE
SAME DAY
1213 EST
AJ regarded his officers carefully as they stood at attention before him, before muttering an "at ease".
"Have a seat people" he said and gestured towards the empty chairs in his office.
Once they were all seated, he took off his reading glasses and sighed regretfully. How could he explain to officers as dedicated as the ones that served under him, that the same country they put their lives on the line for was being threatened by one of its own? What reactions should he expect? Anger? Sadness? Indignation? Hurt? He knew those feelings were all normal, hell, he was feeling all that and more himself. The question now was, how could he control those reactions so that those feelings worked on their favor and not against them? There was no easy way to break it to them, so he did what he'd been trained to do-lead. Lifting his eyes to meet theirs he opened his mouth when he was interrupted.
"Sir" Mac's voice broke the eerie silence that had filled the room. AJ looked at her, startled at first at hearing her voice so full of determination. He merely looked at her and nodded his permission for her to speak. The truth was, he didn't have enough courage to speak yet himself.
"Sir, with all due respect. What is the plan to find Harm?" 'And break every bone in Webb's body' she added silently, recognizing for the first time, the anger she had bottled up inside since she'd heard the news.
Mac's question caught him off guard, and he shot her an apologetic look. He had never questioned the love and devotion that defined his two senior attorneys' relationship from the start. Never. Even during those two awful years when they'd seemed as distant as ever, their eyes still told their story. Mic and Renee never had a chance, and frankly, he felt sorry for anyone who every tried to stand in their way again. At that moment, some of the hatred he harbored against the spook turned to...sympathy? No, not really. But, Webb would sure be one sorry SOB if Mac got her hands on him. Not that Mac's wrath would be his biggest problem anyway. Realizing an answer was expected of him, he cleared his throat and chased away his thoughts. Something had to be done, before time ran out and the government decided to take care of Webb, and Harm with him.
"A few minutes ago, I met with Mr. Callahan" AJ started, and was quickly interrupted by Bud.
"Callahan, Sir? As in Deputy Director of Central Intelligence Callahan?"
"Yes, Lt. Mr. James Callahan was just here, and what I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room, all right?"
They all nodded their agreement as AJ started on with his explanation.
Some time later, AJ had gone over the more important parts of the situation at hand, but had intentionally left out the part about Webb contacting ZNN. His officers were nothing short of sharp minded, and he knew they would quickly make some assumptions about the government's idea to handle Webb, and consequently Harm. Well, it was now or never.
"People, there's still one more thing I haven't told you" AJ said as all heads turned quickly towards him again, eyes burning with anticipation. He only wished it could be good news.
"Webb contacted ZNN sometime this morning. The whole story I just told you is the truth, but what you'll hear tonight on TV may not be"
Mac was quick to react, just as he expected. "Sir? Are you saying that Webb is on a suicide mission here?"
"It certainly looks like it, Mac. He knows how it works. The American people are going to want to him blown up out of his hiding place in Afghanistan, and that's probably what they're going to get"
"Oh God" Mac whispered softly as tears welled up and all the implications of Webb's plan hit her full force. Webb didn't care about his life anymore. He had gone mad. He had no intention of making this a secret attack. He wanted Americans to know who was behind this. What was he doing?
"They'll sacrifice Harm, Sir. Won't they?"
A sharp pain gripped AJ's heart as he heard the anguished voice of the woman in front of him. He knew there wasn't much that could be done. It wasn't like a secret extraction mission could be put together now. It was all public now, and the military's actions would be followed closely by the media, and the American people consequently. Still he harbored some hope that things would work out. He had to. They all did.
"Mac, listen to me. It's not over yet. We don't know exactly what Webb told ZNN, and we don't know exactly how far his plan reaches. If Webb told ZNN he has Harm, then maybe the government will feel it's in its best interest to do everything possible to keep Harm alive. I'm sure it's not their intention to disregard Harm's life completely as you're thinking."
"Yes, Sir. But it's not fair to disregard the lives of the men and women aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt either. And when the time comes to choose, we both know that..." her voice broke and a sob escaped her.
AJ sighed and looked down. Mac was right, but until he had all the facts, he refused to draw conclusions. "We don't know what the government will do, and Mr. Callahan has assured me the CIA is doing everything in its power to solve this. Besides, if all Webb wants is to blow up the ship, then it will be hard to stop him if he already has people working from inside the ship"
"But Sir, don't you see? If Webb cared at all about his life, he would've made sure that F-14 crashed from mechanical failure or something. Not explosives. Its like he wants to be found, Sir. Like he's daring the US to find him. He has to know what he's bringing upon himself" Mac said exasperated as pictures of Harm flooded her mind. Damn it, she had to do something.
"Mac, I'm sorry. But there's nothing we can do right now. We have to wait until we hear the report on ZNN tonight. After that, then maybe I can make a few calls to find out what's going on at the Pentagon"
Sturgis had been thinking over and over while he listened to the passionate conversation between Mac and the Admiral. Something wasn't right about all this. There was something missing that he couldn't yet put a finger on. It probably helped him to be a little more emotionally detached from this than everyone else. Sure, Harm and he were good friends, but Mac?..well Sturgis wasn't in love with Harm... The Admiral? ... Harm had helped rescue his daughter...Bud and Harriet?... Harm was little AJ's godfather... Sturgis knew he had a place in this JAG family. He had learned that months ago at the Jag-a-thon, and this was definitely one of those trying experiences he would go through with them.
"Sir" Sturgis spoke and at once all heads turned to face him. "Did you say the report is scheduled for the six o'clock news?"
"Yes, Commander. That's what Mr. Callahan informed me of"
"Well, Sir. Do you think it would be better that we all stick together, at least until we know what Webb told ZNN?"
"Sir, Sturgis is right. After all, didn't Mr. Callahan say they don't know where Mr. Trent is? We might be safer if we're together" Mac said, backing up Sturgis' suggestions immediately. Besides, she really didn't feel like being alone.
"Very well. We'll have lunch and dinner here at JAG, and we'll wait until after the news report to figure out what we can do to help Harm. Understood?"
"Aye, aye Sir" they all answered, and after AJ's "dismissed" they all retreated back toward their offices. Not much work would get done, though.
SOMEWHERE IN WASHINGTON
Same Time
"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it." He cursed repetitively after hearing the latest news from his "assistants", and picked up the phone once again. If Callahan thought he would get away with this he was wrong. He could never allow it. He owed it to Neville Webb to see this through.
"Charlie, it's Don. Yeah, get me the secure line. No, I don't know yet. We'll get him, Charlie. First, we need to get to the JAG people. Callahan will wipe 'em out and blame it on us as well if we don't do something fast...Got it. I'll wait here, you let me now. Out"
Snapping shut his cell phone; he allowed a small smile to play across his lips. He didn't get to be the DCI for nothing. He knew how to play his cards. This wasn't 'Nam anymore, and he was definitely not the same person he was back then. Callahan made it personal and he was about to find out what dealing with the DCI was really like.
AFGHANISTAN
UNKNOWN LOCATION
FRIDAY MARCH 15, 2002
Almost two hours had gone by since Harm had last seen Webb. The last he'd heard was Webb speaking to Lt. Moore about the second phase of the plan. Whatever that was, it didn't sound good. Nothing usually sounded good when it came to Webb. Given that he was tied up and badly injured, there wasn't much he could do other than think. He tried hard to make sense of what was happening, to him and to the rest of the world. Once again he came back to the same place he started. Too many lose ends.
A loud noise, followed by ceaseless curses brought him back from his thoughts. The doors opened suddenly and Webb burst through them, breaking into a crazed run towards the control panels of whatever equipment he had on that...place. Harm had never seen anything like it before, but he was sure he could get it to work if he had to. All he needed was to get the hell untied and he might be able to attempt communication. He didn't know where they were. He had been sedated the whole time and hadn't regained consciousness until they were already inside that... cave...basement...whatever it was. Sedated? Well, he surely didn't remember much from the time he... crashed? Ejected? How the hell had Webb gotten him out of his Tomcat? Maybe his head injury was worse than he had thought. Well, his recent memory might be a bit blurry, but he was not that bad off, he guessed. He still remembered Mac. His Sarah, and he sure remembered that last night she spent in his arms.
Closing his eyes once more, willing his mind to shut out the present reality he faced, the memories of the woman he loved danced around in his head. They'd only had that one night, but oh what a night it had been. Even in his present state, her smile still took his breath away, her intoxicating scent still overwhelmed his senses, her skin soft like rose petals still burned against his own, her beautiful brown eyes still hypnotized him. Together, they'd been to heaven and back, and he knew that no matter how many days he had left on this Earth, nothing would ever compare to the sweetness of loving and being loved by Sarah Mackenzie.
His mind traveled back to the morning after that magical night. A sense of peace reigned within him as he opened his eyes to witness the first rays of sunlight caress the angelic face of the woman in his arms. The fear of the uncertain future they faced had still been there, but he'd sworn he wouldn't let the unknown spoil the greatest thing he'd ever experienced. The cryptic explanation he'd been given about the assignment made his heart sink a little lower each time, and as he reminisced about the previous night and the way they'd made love unprotected, he prayed to God he could be there for Sarah if their dreams of having a baby Rabb came true sooner than expected.
"Rabb" Harm heard a familiar voice yell his name. Somewhere inside his dazed mind he knew he had to answer, but his body seemed to be detached from his brain, ignoring his order to articulate a coherent answer. His eyelids were heavy, feeling more like they'd been glued together. The excruciating pain in his leg returned seconds later, and his multiple injuries made themselves known, the hurt threatening to overrule any trace of consciousness left in him.
"RABB!!" he heard it clearer and louder this time, and he forced his eyes open, if only to beg for the yelling to stop.
"Hmm.." he murmured weakly, his head rolling backwards against the damp scrappy surface of the wall once again.
"Wake up, Rabb. I swear I'll shoot you again if you don't. We need to get moving"
The "shoot you again" was the only part that made it to his brain, and he quickly attempted to move, not because he feared being shot again, but because it meant that he'd already been shot once. He had to be losing blood, and his brain told him if he didn't find the source of his bleeding, he'd lose consciousness before he could do anything to stop Webb. More over, if he didn't make it out of there, it would kill Sarah. He had promised her he'd be back for her, and he never broke his promises- especially not to her.
His hands moved slowly across his sides, his mind furiously trying to identify the place in his body that hurt the most. The crushing overlapping ache he felt made it hard, but after a few seconds, his hand skimmed over his left arm and it stained quickly with blood. He had to make it out of there. What if Webb tried to get to Sarah as well? He had to protect her, to save her from anything and anyone who tried to hurt her.
With a will born of sheer desperation, he finally succeeded and moved slowly towards the place his half-awake mind recognized as the entrance to the cave... basement... whatever. Where the hell was Webb? He'd yelled at him to wake up and move, and now he was nowhere to be found. Panic surged within him once again as he realized if Webb wanted him dead, all he had to do was leave him there. He was pretty sure he'd been given some kind of drugs, his leg was almost certainly broken, and he was losing blood fast. He'd never make it out of there alone. He had no recollection of the route they'd taken to get him there, where his plane was, where Skates was... Oh God! Skates!
TBC
Author: LeE
e-mail: lee_81881@yahoo.com
Classification: Romance H/M
Disclaimers: JAG doesn't belong to me. It belongs to DPB and CBS. I'm just having some fun while procrastinating on homework...
*From Part 3*
So many things didn't make sense. "It's not fair" she whispered as tears welled up once again, and she tried to chase away the images of a life without Harm. They had been through so much. So many close calls. He had to make it out of there. He just had to.
"Ma'am" Tiner spoke as he knocked on her door.
"Yes, Tiner" Mac answered, dabbing away some tears that had escaped her eyes.
"The Admiral wishes to see you ASAP, Ma'am" he said.
"Thank you, Tiner. I'll be right there"
"Aye, aye Ma'am"
*Part 4*
ADMIRAL'S OFFICE
SAME DAY
1213 EST
AJ regarded his officers carefully as they stood at attention before him, before muttering an "at ease".
"Have a seat people" he said and gestured towards the empty chairs in his office.
Once they were all seated, he took off his reading glasses and sighed regretfully. How could he explain to officers as dedicated as the ones that served under him, that the same country they put their lives on the line for was being threatened by one of its own? What reactions should he expect? Anger? Sadness? Indignation? Hurt? He knew those feelings were all normal, hell, he was feeling all that and more himself. The question now was, how could he control those reactions so that those feelings worked on their favor and not against them? There was no easy way to break it to them, so he did what he'd been trained to do-lead. Lifting his eyes to meet theirs he opened his mouth when he was interrupted.
"Sir" Mac's voice broke the eerie silence that had filled the room. AJ looked at her, startled at first at hearing her voice so full of determination. He merely looked at her and nodded his permission for her to speak. The truth was, he didn't have enough courage to speak yet himself.
"Sir, with all due respect. What is the plan to find Harm?" 'And break every bone in Webb's body' she added silently, recognizing for the first time, the anger she had bottled up inside since she'd heard the news.
Mac's question caught him off guard, and he shot her an apologetic look. He had never questioned the love and devotion that defined his two senior attorneys' relationship from the start. Never. Even during those two awful years when they'd seemed as distant as ever, their eyes still told their story. Mic and Renee never had a chance, and frankly, he felt sorry for anyone who every tried to stand in their way again. At that moment, some of the hatred he harbored against the spook turned to...sympathy? No, not really. But, Webb would sure be one sorry SOB if Mac got her hands on him. Not that Mac's wrath would be his biggest problem anyway. Realizing an answer was expected of him, he cleared his throat and chased away his thoughts. Something had to be done, before time ran out and the government decided to take care of Webb, and Harm with him.
"A few minutes ago, I met with Mr. Callahan" AJ started, and was quickly interrupted by Bud.
"Callahan, Sir? As in Deputy Director of Central Intelligence Callahan?"
"Yes, Lt. Mr. James Callahan was just here, and what I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room, all right?"
They all nodded their agreement as AJ started on with his explanation.
Some time later, AJ had gone over the more important parts of the situation at hand, but had intentionally left out the part about Webb contacting ZNN. His officers were nothing short of sharp minded, and he knew they would quickly make some assumptions about the government's idea to handle Webb, and consequently Harm. Well, it was now or never.
"People, there's still one more thing I haven't told you" AJ said as all heads turned quickly towards him again, eyes burning with anticipation. He only wished it could be good news.
"Webb contacted ZNN sometime this morning. The whole story I just told you is the truth, but what you'll hear tonight on TV may not be"
Mac was quick to react, just as he expected. "Sir? Are you saying that Webb is on a suicide mission here?"
"It certainly looks like it, Mac. He knows how it works. The American people are going to want to him blown up out of his hiding place in Afghanistan, and that's probably what they're going to get"
"Oh God" Mac whispered softly as tears welled up and all the implications of Webb's plan hit her full force. Webb didn't care about his life anymore. He had gone mad. He had no intention of making this a secret attack. He wanted Americans to know who was behind this. What was he doing?
"They'll sacrifice Harm, Sir. Won't they?"
A sharp pain gripped AJ's heart as he heard the anguished voice of the woman in front of him. He knew there wasn't much that could be done. It wasn't like a secret extraction mission could be put together now. It was all public now, and the military's actions would be followed closely by the media, and the American people consequently. Still he harbored some hope that things would work out. He had to. They all did.
"Mac, listen to me. It's not over yet. We don't know exactly what Webb told ZNN, and we don't know exactly how far his plan reaches. If Webb told ZNN he has Harm, then maybe the government will feel it's in its best interest to do everything possible to keep Harm alive. I'm sure it's not their intention to disregard Harm's life completely as you're thinking."
"Yes, Sir. But it's not fair to disregard the lives of the men and women aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt either. And when the time comes to choose, we both know that..." her voice broke and a sob escaped her.
AJ sighed and looked down. Mac was right, but until he had all the facts, he refused to draw conclusions. "We don't know what the government will do, and Mr. Callahan has assured me the CIA is doing everything in its power to solve this. Besides, if all Webb wants is to blow up the ship, then it will be hard to stop him if he already has people working from inside the ship"
"But Sir, don't you see? If Webb cared at all about his life, he would've made sure that F-14 crashed from mechanical failure or something. Not explosives. Its like he wants to be found, Sir. Like he's daring the US to find him. He has to know what he's bringing upon himself" Mac said exasperated as pictures of Harm flooded her mind. Damn it, she had to do something.
"Mac, I'm sorry. But there's nothing we can do right now. We have to wait until we hear the report on ZNN tonight. After that, then maybe I can make a few calls to find out what's going on at the Pentagon"
Sturgis had been thinking over and over while he listened to the passionate conversation between Mac and the Admiral. Something wasn't right about all this. There was something missing that he couldn't yet put a finger on. It probably helped him to be a little more emotionally detached from this than everyone else. Sure, Harm and he were good friends, but Mac?..well Sturgis wasn't in love with Harm... The Admiral? ... Harm had helped rescue his daughter...Bud and Harriet?... Harm was little AJ's godfather... Sturgis knew he had a place in this JAG family. He had learned that months ago at the Jag-a-thon, and this was definitely one of those trying experiences he would go through with them.
"Sir" Sturgis spoke and at once all heads turned to face him. "Did you say the report is scheduled for the six o'clock news?"
"Yes, Commander. That's what Mr. Callahan informed me of"
"Well, Sir. Do you think it would be better that we all stick together, at least until we know what Webb told ZNN?"
"Sir, Sturgis is right. After all, didn't Mr. Callahan say they don't know where Mr. Trent is? We might be safer if we're together" Mac said, backing up Sturgis' suggestions immediately. Besides, she really didn't feel like being alone.
"Very well. We'll have lunch and dinner here at JAG, and we'll wait until after the news report to figure out what we can do to help Harm. Understood?"
"Aye, aye Sir" they all answered, and after AJ's "dismissed" they all retreated back toward their offices. Not much work would get done, though.
SOMEWHERE IN WASHINGTON
Same Time
"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it." He cursed repetitively after hearing the latest news from his "assistants", and picked up the phone once again. If Callahan thought he would get away with this he was wrong. He could never allow it. He owed it to Neville Webb to see this through.
"Charlie, it's Don. Yeah, get me the secure line. No, I don't know yet. We'll get him, Charlie. First, we need to get to the JAG people. Callahan will wipe 'em out and blame it on us as well if we don't do something fast...Got it. I'll wait here, you let me now. Out"
Snapping shut his cell phone; he allowed a small smile to play across his lips. He didn't get to be the DCI for nothing. He knew how to play his cards. This wasn't 'Nam anymore, and he was definitely not the same person he was back then. Callahan made it personal and he was about to find out what dealing with the DCI was really like.
AFGHANISTAN
UNKNOWN LOCATION
FRIDAY MARCH 15, 2002
Almost two hours had gone by since Harm had last seen Webb. The last he'd heard was Webb speaking to Lt. Moore about the second phase of the plan. Whatever that was, it didn't sound good. Nothing usually sounded good when it came to Webb. Given that he was tied up and badly injured, there wasn't much he could do other than think. He tried hard to make sense of what was happening, to him and to the rest of the world. Once again he came back to the same place he started. Too many lose ends.
A loud noise, followed by ceaseless curses brought him back from his thoughts. The doors opened suddenly and Webb burst through them, breaking into a crazed run towards the control panels of whatever equipment he had on that...place. Harm had never seen anything like it before, but he was sure he could get it to work if he had to. All he needed was to get the hell untied and he might be able to attempt communication. He didn't know where they were. He had been sedated the whole time and hadn't regained consciousness until they were already inside that... cave...basement...whatever it was. Sedated? Well, he surely didn't remember much from the time he... crashed? Ejected? How the hell had Webb gotten him out of his Tomcat? Maybe his head injury was worse than he had thought. Well, his recent memory might be a bit blurry, but he was not that bad off, he guessed. He still remembered Mac. His Sarah, and he sure remembered that last night she spent in his arms.
Closing his eyes once more, willing his mind to shut out the present reality he faced, the memories of the woman he loved danced around in his head. They'd only had that one night, but oh what a night it had been. Even in his present state, her smile still took his breath away, her intoxicating scent still overwhelmed his senses, her skin soft like rose petals still burned against his own, her beautiful brown eyes still hypnotized him. Together, they'd been to heaven and back, and he knew that no matter how many days he had left on this Earth, nothing would ever compare to the sweetness of loving and being loved by Sarah Mackenzie.
His mind traveled back to the morning after that magical night. A sense of peace reigned within him as he opened his eyes to witness the first rays of sunlight caress the angelic face of the woman in his arms. The fear of the uncertain future they faced had still been there, but he'd sworn he wouldn't let the unknown spoil the greatest thing he'd ever experienced. The cryptic explanation he'd been given about the assignment made his heart sink a little lower each time, and as he reminisced about the previous night and the way they'd made love unprotected, he prayed to God he could be there for Sarah if their dreams of having a baby Rabb came true sooner than expected.
"Rabb" Harm heard a familiar voice yell his name. Somewhere inside his dazed mind he knew he had to answer, but his body seemed to be detached from his brain, ignoring his order to articulate a coherent answer. His eyelids were heavy, feeling more like they'd been glued together. The excruciating pain in his leg returned seconds later, and his multiple injuries made themselves known, the hurt threatening to overrule any trace of consciousness left in him.
"RABB!!" he heard it clearer and louder this time, and he forced his eyes open, if only to beg for the yelling to stop.
"Hmm.." he murmured weakly, his head rolling backwards against the damp scrappy surface of the wall once again.
"Wake up, Rabb. I swear I'll shoot you again if you don't. We need to get moving"
The "shoot you again" was the only part that made it to his brain, and he quickly attempted to move, not because he feared being shot again, but because it meant that he'd already been shot once. He had to be losing blood, and his brain told him if he didn't find the source of his bleeding, he'd lose consciousness before he could do anything to stop Webb. More over, if he didn't make it out of there, it would kill Sarah. He had promised her he'd be back for her, and he never broke his promises- especially not to her.
His hands moved slowly across his sides, his mind furiously trying to identify the place in his body that hurt the most. The crushing overlapping ache he felt made it hard, but after a few seconds, his hand skimmed over his left arm and it stained quickly with blood. He had to make it out of there. What if Webb tried to get to Sarah as well? He had to protect her, to save her from anything and anyone who tried to hurt her.
With a will born of sheer desperation, he finally succeeded and moved slowly towards the place his half-awake mind recognized as the entrance to the cave... basement... whatever. Where the hell was Webb? He'd yelled at him to wake up and move, and now he was nowhere to be found. Panic surged within him once again as he realized if Webb wanted him dead, all he had to do was leave him there. He was pretty sure he'd been given some kind of drugs, his leg was almost certainly broken, and he was losing blood fast. He'd never make it out of there alone. He had no recollection of the route they'd taken to get him there, where his plane was, where Skates was... Oh God! Skates!
TBC